


Island of Doom

by icyraven93



Series: Between the Matches Universe [3]
Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games), Mortal Kombat - All Media Types
Genre: Armageddon, Background Character Death, Betrayal, Chance Meetings, Gen, Imprisonment, Injury, MK11 Krypt, Nonbinary Ermac, Not Beta Read, Refusal to Abandon Another, Splitting Up The Gang, They/Them Pronouns for Ermac
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:14:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25523434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icyraven93/pseuds/icyraven93
Summary: The mysterious ninja-esque warriors Smoke, Ermac, Rain, and Reptile have been taken prisoner on Shang Tsung's island. With Armageddon raging on all around them, they must attempt to escape with their lives, but danger lurks at every turn...
Series: Between the Matches Universe [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1690630
Kudos: 10





	1. The Meeting

"I've never seen you three before in my life. Who are you?" Smoke questioned. He and three other masked warriors were currently locked in a cell in Goro's Lair.

"We are Ermac. We came here to attempt to bring Shang Tsung back to Outworld on orders from the two empresses Kitana Kahn and Mileena Kahn, but we fell into a trap," Ermac answered.

"I can't believe I usssed to trussst Shang Tsssung," Reptile hissed. "I doubt he ever had plansss to help me find my people. That wasss the arrangement until he betrayed me."

"I merely wanted to help Tanya and the rest of the Edenian resistance find somewhere safe to establish a new Edenia," Rain explained. "Why did you come here?"

"I just wanted to find sanctuary for the Lin Kuei so they could survive Armageddon. Unfortunately for all of us, this ended up being a trap," Smoke said. The four sat in silence as the damp air hung heavy around them. After thirty minutes of this, Ermac cleared their throat.

"It is clear that Shang Tsung wishes to consume our souls," Ermac began. "Therefore, it is prudent that we escape as soon as possible."

"But how would we even begin to essscape?" Reptile questioned.

"You seem to forget that Rain is capable of transforming into a mobile puddle of water at will. Furthermore, the damp air would likely strengthen his abilities," Ermac explained. They then turned to the purple-clad man in question.

"I'll do it. After all, I despise the idea of dying in this hellhole," Rain said. He melted into a puddle of water, slithered out of the cell from between the bars, and rematerialized on the other side, whereupon he picked the lock and liberated his fellow prisoners.

"That wasss the easssy part. Now the real battle beginsss," Reptile commented as the four fled from their now opened cell.


	2. Escape From Goro's Lair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The four masked warriors escape from Goro's Lair.

The four continued running through the humid halls of Goro's Lair, silver, green, and purple trailing behind crimson.

"I never in my life thought I would ally myself with Outworlders. Of course, I didn't even realize Outworlders or Outworld itself existed until today," Smoke stated.

"This island, like Yin Yang Island, sits on the border between Earthrealm and Outworld. Most Earthrealmers who participated in Mortal Kombat either perish or simply have no desire to share their experiences," Ermac explained.

"Thessse wallsss may all look alike to the untrained eye, but I've been down here enough to know my way around," Reptile began. "And I know we are headed in the right direction." The four continued to prowl through the halls, avoiding the hungry gazes of the Oni who had taken up residence after Goro's death. Reptile soon spotted an orange light coming from above a trapdoor.

"Finally. I thought I'd never see orange light again," Rain said in relief as he, Smoke, and Ermac followed Reptile to the trapdoor.

"We will open the trapdoor now," Ermac stated. They floated to the trapdoor and pulled the handle. However, no ladder came down.

"How will we get up there?" Smoke asked.

"We will levitate the three of you to the surface before ascending," Ermac answered. "Reptile will be the first to ascend, followed by Rain and then you. We will all escape this palace, though." Ermac then levitated Reptile through the trapdoor before repeating this process twice more with Rain and Smoke. Once they themselves floated through the trapdoor, however, they saw the source of the orange light: Blaze, the fire elemental that had been created by Deliah to signal the beginning of Armageddon.


	3. Separation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group of four separate in an attempt to increase their odds of survival. However, an injury forces two of them to travel together.

"It would appear as though Shang Tsung is not alone in his endeavors," Rain remarked once he registered Blaze's presence. "How he managed to secure Blaze's aid is a mystery."

"We will admit, Blaze's presence will make it more difficult for us to slip off this island," Ermac began. "Even Reptile will find it a bit difficult to blend in with this environment." The four stayed in the shadows created by the light from Blaze's flames, being careful to avoid the light as much as possible. However, they heard a fifth set of footsteps.

At first, Smoke wondered if someone's footsteps were merely echoing throughout the area, but then he remembered that the four all had ways to render their footsteps completely silent and were likely taking advantage of them as much as possible. He kept a wary eye on their surroundings, searching for the source of the mysterious footsteps. As the four inched closer to the doorway leading into the courtyard, the source of these footsteps revealed themselves: a mysterious traveler wearing a mask in a very similar fashion to them.

"Escape is futile," the mystery man began. "I suggest you go quietly back to your cell or Shang Tsung will make your deaths painful. If you had stayed, you would at least have died quickly."

"Too bad for you and your master, but we intend to live," Smoke countered, unfazed by the arrival of Shang Tsung himself.

"You were doomed the moment you set foot on my island," Shang Tsung said before picking up Kano's skull. "What you see now is the fate of someone who also thought he could escape from me."

"Unlike him, however, we will succeed!" Rain argued. Shang Tsung then turned to Blaze.

"Blaze, show them what I mean," Shang Tsung ordered. Blaze roared before summoning more flames to his body. Rain attempted to fire a jet of water at Blaze, but it had no effect.

"Perhaps our chances of survival will increase if we scatter," Ermac suggested. "We will reconvene at the docks. All that will be left then will be to find the sturdiest boat and board it."

"But what if we never make it?" Reptile asked, his attention on a knife wound in Rain's side. "What if Shang Tsssung and hisss men catch up to us?"

"We will survive, Reptile. There is only three of them and 10,002 of us," Ermac assured Reptile.

"If you're that hopeful about our chancccesss, then I will look for another way out through thisss palaccce," Reptile said.

"We will return to Goro's former lair only to seek an alternate exit from there. It has been neglected since he passed away from his injuries. Surely, enough of it must have collapsed to reveal an alternate route by now," Ermac explained before turning their attention to Smoke, who was attempting to help Rain despite the latter's protests.

"Leave me, Smoke," Rain protested. "I will only slow you down and get us both killed."

"We are to assume the two of you will be attempting to escape together?" Ermac questioned. "That is a risky move, but perhaps a risky move or two may be needed."

"We promised we would all escape when this started," Smoke began. "Nobody's getting left behind to die or worse."

"You would seriously risk your life for a stranger?" Rain asked even as he felt himself get dragged along to the exit to the courtyard. "Are all Earthrealmers like this?"

"Armageddon has a tendency to bring out both the best and worst in people. If I can save both of our lives, well, it'll be worth it," Smoke answered.

Little did any of them know that the real hunt had begun...


	4. Reptile Solo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While escaping, Reptile takes an opportunity to learn more about his people.

As Reptile prowled to the gates leading to outside the palace, a thought hit him. He came to this accursed island in the first place in hopes of learning more about the Saurians and if any of them still remained. He spied a building near the gate; he remembered Shang Tsung would go into it sometimes, but never learned the purpose of it.

"Well, now isss asss good a time asss any to figure out why thisss building'sss here," Reptile said to himself before forcing the door open. Books lined the walls while notes and vials were scattered across the sole table in the room. He was sure that this room held the secrets of his people, so he immediately made his way to one of the bookshelves, pulled out one of the numerous books, and began reading.

An hour passed and Reptile was still engrossed in a book detailing the history of Zaterra and its people the Saurians. He was so absorbed in this book, in fact, that he didn't even notice the mysterious man from earlier approaching him.

"You're coming with me back to Goro's Lair," the man stated. This got Reptile's attention.

"You... you're that accursssed Shang Tsssung's newessst ssservant," Reptile observed. "He'sss jussst going to betray you like he betrayed me!"

"Perhaps you tell the truth. Perhaps you tell a lie. Either way, I follow his orders," the man replied. "And right now, he has ordered me to bring you back to Goro's Lair and prevent you from escaping again."

"I intend to learn about my people. Obviousssly, I can't do that if I'm dead," Reptile countered before closing the book he was reading and running, with the mysterious man hot on his heels.


End file.
